{"id":36019,"date":"2019-05-13T23:05:45","date_gmt":"2019-05-13T23:05:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/05\/13\/world-war-ii-vet-bob-maxwell-the-oldest-medal-of-honor-recipient-dies-at-98\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T02:57:21","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T02:57:21","slug":"world-war-ii-vet-bob-maxwell-the-oldest-medal-of-honor-recipient-dies-at-98","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/military-honor\/2019\/05\/13\/world-war-ii-vet-bob-maxwell-the-oldest-medal-of-honor-recipient-dies-at-98\/","title":{"rendered":"World War II vet Bob Maxwell, the oldest Medal of Honor recipient, dies at 98"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

BEND, Ore. \u2014 World War II veteran Bob Maxwell<\/a>, the nation\u2019s oldest Medal of Honor recipient, has died in Oregon more than seven decades after grabbing a blanket and throwing himself on a German hand grenade in France to save his squad mates. He was 98.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maxwell died Saturday in Bend, The Bulletin<\/a> newspaper of Bend reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The death was confirmed Monday by U.S. Rep. Greg Walden, a Republican from Oregon, who said Maxwell represented the “best of what Oregon and America have to offer.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maxwell earned the nation’s highest military honor while fighting in Besancon, France, on Sept. 7, 1944, the newspaper reported. The bomb severely injured him, but the blanket saved his life by absorbing some of the impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was also awarded two Silver Stars, two Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star and two French combat awards \u2014 the French Croix de Guerre and the Legion d’Honneur \u2014 for his service in World War II.<\/p>\n\n\n\t